Like Father, Like Son
by AniHope
Summary: Not a new chapter! Last chapter updated. Ram the Blade Ship he said, but what happened next? This is my version, and my way of trying to set things right, because no one should have to go through as much loss as Tobias did, and I always thought there was
1. No More

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, but the plot. All the characters belong to the wise and powerful K.A. Applegate. I also do not own the song "No More." It belongs to Steven Sondheim.

A/N ~ Well, this is my Book 55. It picks up right where 54 left off. It's Tobias' point of view, as 55 would have been had the series continued. The PG-13 rating is for some blood and gore in the first chapter. Song lyrics are in italics. Enjoy!

 "Full emergency power to the engines," Jake said. "Ram the Blade ship."

With four little words, Jake proclaimed all of our deaths. His own, yes, but Santorelli's, Jeanne's, and Mendarash's as well. Marco's. And mine. My first reaction was one of anger. What right did he have to do such a thing without our consent? 

But I knew even as I thought that, that he did have our consent. We had gone on this mission knowing we would most likely not be coming back. We had agreed to follow him, even to our deaths. 

I admired Santorelli and Jeanne for their bravery in volunteering for this mission. They were giving up everything to follow Jake on a suicidal attempt to save a friend they hadn't even met. And Marco – he was giving up his life too. Maybe it wasn't much of one compared to the old days, but it was more than what I had. 

What I had couldn't really be called a life. I had lost everything. Not that I'd ever really had much, but everything I did have was taken from me. My father died only moments after I met him. When I finally found my mother after so many years, she didn't even remember who I was. 

And Rachel. She'd always been frustrated by the fact that I wouldn't stay human. It was a constant pull for me – become a human permanently so we could be together, or remain a hawk so I could fight. I well remembered the days when I couldn't morph at all, and the frustration it caused when I couldn't fight with my friends. That was all I had. What was I if I couldn't fight that war? My father's war. 

I always thought that when it was over, I _would_ become human, for Rachel. But in the end, I didn't get to make that choice. With Rachel dead, what reason did I have to be human? At least as a hawk I could retreat from my problems, and forget. And maybe then death would come faster. 

I couldn't just kill myself and get it over with, because, see, Rachel wouldn't approve of that. She wouldn't have approved of me giving up on life like that. With the hawk's shorter lifespan, and the many natural dangers for hawks, maybe my death would come sooner. And that was why I couldn't be mad at Jake, because going down in battle for a friend wasn't the same thing as giving up. 

And at least this way, I could almost have that day back. The day she died. I'd always wished I'd known when Jake sent her to the Blade ship alone. Because then, I could have followed her. I could have been there. I could have helped her fight, and even if that didn't make a difference, I could have at least died with her. And now, going down on this ship, the _Rachel_, I could almost have that.

_No more questions, please._

_No more tests._

_Comes the day you say, what for?_

_Please, no more._

So, as we readied the ship for its final mission, I did one final thing for her. For Rachel. I morphed human one last time.

Jake looked around at all of us. At Jeanne and Santorelli standing side by side. Santorelli lifted one arm and saluted to Jake, who did the same back in one final defiant gesture of humanity. 

Jake turned to look at me. He smiled sadly, and said, simply, "I'm sorry." I knew what he meant. He wasn't sorry about now. About asking me to go with him on this mission. He was sorry for all those years ago, when he'd made the decision that tore my life apart, but the one that helped us win the war. I nodded and gave him a small smile, letting him know I'd forgiven him. I wasn't mad at him anymore. The truth was it wasn't him I'd been mad at for all those years. It was myself. Myself and the Yeerks. The Yeerks that had killed both my father and the girl I loved.

_            They disappoint, _

_They disappear, _

_They die, but they don't._

_            They disappoint,_

_            In turn I fear._

_            Forgive, though, they won't._

Finally, Jake turned to Marco, and looked him expectantly. Marco was silent for a moment, then he looked up at the ceiling of the ship. He looked back down and shrugged. "Well," he said, "since she can't speak, I guess I'll say it for her." He grinned. "Let's do it."

Jake grinned, and nodded to Mendarash. Mendarash nodded back, and turned to the computer. "Computer," he said. "Maximum Burn."

_No more riddles._

_No more jests._

_No more curses you can't undo_

_Left by fathers you never knew._

_No more quests._

A rush of chaos followed. The ship shot forward. I flew backward, hitting the back of the ship. Hard. I fell to the floor as the _Rachel_ hit the Blade Ship, resulting in an unbearable scraping and crushing noise. The Blade Ship spun away, damaged and out-of-control.

I should have died then. I didn't. 

I don't know how long I was unconscious, but I woke to a silence so deafening, so real, it was almost tangible. My head hurt, and I soon discovered I was lying in a pool of blood. It was everywhere. And I wondered how I could possibly be alive. The impact alone should have killed me, and no one could live after loosing that much blood. But as soon as I sat up, I understood.

It wasn't my blood. I wasn't bleeding. I was alive, but I was the only one. Jeanne was sprawled on the floor a couple feet away, in the same huge pool of blood. But I don't think it was hers either. Like me, she'd been thrown against the wall and floor. Unlike me, the impact killed her. The fate of the others was far more horrific. 

Santorelli was sprawled across the computers, a long gash torn in his stomach, leaking blood. Mendarash had been crushed between the computers and part of the compressed front of the ship. His mangled, bloody body was too gruesome for words. Jake had been impaled by a piece of the crushed ship. He was the source of much of the blood. But the biggest contributor to the pool covering the floor was Marco. One whole side of his body, from head to toe, had been slit open by crushed metal.

I couldn't look at any of them for long. It was too painful. _Why?_ I thought. _Oh God, why? What have I done to deserve this? _Not only had I been denied merciful death, but now I had to be here, alive, while all my friends were dead. I had to sit there with their dead, mangled bodies all around me.

_No more feelings._

_Time to shut the door.___

_Just no more.___

There was no way the ship would work now, but maybe there was some sort of escape pod or something somewhere. Maybe, if I found it, I could just fly it somewhere far away. Anywhere but here. Anywhere but Earth. 

_Running away, let's do it._

_Free from the ties that bind._

_No more despair,_

_Or burdens to bear out there in the yonder.___

I had found the escape pod. I sat in front of the computers for a long time, staring out at the stars and planets, and the black of space. Finally, I started the engines and started out into the vast expanse of nothingness, taking one last look at the _Rachel. "Goodbye," I whispered, and then I turned and flew the ship away, heading for nowhere._

_Running away, go to it._

_Where did you have in mind?_

_Have to take care, _

_Unless there's a where, you'll only be wandering blind._

_Just more questions, different kinds._

_Where are we to go?_

_Where are we ever to go?_

Staring into that void called space, something strange started to happen to me. I started seeing images, and hearing voices. They were memories, but they didn't belong to me. It was as if some age-old story was being reenacted in my mind. Being played out for me to see. And as the story played itself out around me, I began to understand.

It was the story of an Andalite _aristh, thrown into a great war.  The young alien and his fellow cadet were sent on a small, insignificant mission that soon became a major piece of a much larger story. _

It was the story of Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, and the mission that resulted in his friend Arbron becoming trapped in the body of a Taxxon, a horrible cannibalistic creature like a giant centipede. The mission that marked the beginning of the Abomination, Visser Three – the only Yeerk to inhabit the body of an Andalite. I watched as Elfangor, the human girl, Loren, and the Visser attempted to use the Time Matrix, the most destructive weapon imaginable, and ended up creating a strange new universe. I watched as Elfangor and Loren fought the Visser for control of the Time Matrix, and I watched as Elfangor ran away from the war.

_Running away, we'll do it._

_Why sit around, resigned?_

He ran to Earth, and became a human permanently. He married Loren, and then, one day it all ended. The Ellimist, that inexplicable creature who created the Time Matrix, came and took Elfangor away. He erased the time-line, bringing Elfangor back to his people, and to the war that made him a war-hero. Erased all memory of him on Earth. Not even Loren would remember. He erased everything. Except. Except for one thing. Except for the son Loren had been pregnant with. I saw the battle Elfangor was thrown back into. I watched as he shot toward the Blade Ship on a suicidal attack, a mirror of our final attack on the same ship. And he, like me, lived when he should have died.

_Trouble is, son,_

_The farther you run, the more you feel undefined._

_For what you have left undone,_

_And more, what you've left behind._

And I was already crying when I saw the last scene. The end of his story. The day Elfangor came back to Earth, with one thing in mind. To save humanity from the Yeerks. He was looking for the Time Matrix he'd buried there so many years ago, but instead he found five human teenagers. Us. The Animorphs. And I saw through his eyes, as he gave us the morphing power. And I saw myself, and I felt the recognition in Elfangor's mind as he saw, at last, the son he'd left behind. 

I didn't want to see the rest, but I couldn't close my eyes to it. So I watched, again, as Visser Three came to destroy his old nemesis. And I heard the last message of Elfangor's _hirac delest. Hope…_

_We disappoint,_

_We leave a mess,_

_We die, but we don't._

And then it was over, and I was flying through the blackness again. And I could feel the sobs wrenching my throat. Now I knew the whole story. And I knew that my father had known who I was that night. He had known as he lay dying, and as he asked me about my family, and my mother. This war had torn them apart, just as it had me and Rachel. But at least I could remember her. At least I had that much.

_We disappoint,_

_In turn, I guess,_

_Forget, though, we won't._

_Like father, like son._

I stared out at the space ahead of me, and wondered why my life, and his, held so much pain. I wondered where I was going, and what good it was going to do me. At least when Elfangor ran away, he had something to run to. He had Loren. And me? I was running away from everything. From every memory of Rachel. The one thing I had left of her.

_No more giants,_

_Waging war.___

_Can't we just pursue our lives,_

_With our children and our wives?___

_'Till that happy day arrives_

_How do you ignore,_

_All the witches,_

_All the curses.___

_All the wolves, all the lies,_

_The false hopes, the goodbyes, the reverses.___

_All the wondering, what even worse_

_Is still in store?_

_All the children.___

_All the giants.___

_No more._

I sat up, and turned the ship around with new determination, and demorphed to hawk. I might need my morphing powers before this was done. I realized what else my father's story had shown me. I saw what I could do now. I had a goal, and one last mission to take.

A/N ~ Alright! I'll try and put up chapter 2 as soon as possible. I hope you like it so far. Don't worry, it won't continue to be so depressing. In case anyone wants to know, the song is called "No More," and it's from the Broadway musical Into the Woods. 


	2. Dare You To Move

A/N ~ Finally, my next chapter! An important note to all who read the first chapter before I put this up: I changed one small thing, so just so you don't get confused, at the end of chapter one, Tobias demorphed to hawk before starting the journey home. 

Disclaimer: Once again, I do not own Animorphs or any of the characters, I also do not own the song _Dare You to Move_, it is the property of Switchfoot.

I don't know how long it was before I finally saw Earth again. It could have been years, or maybe only a few hours. I don't know. I was barely aware of the time passing. 

I only know that when I saw that small blue and green sphere come into view, it felt unreal. Almost like I hadn't believed until that moment that it was actually real. That I was really here. Really alive. 

_Welcome to the planet._

_Welcome to existence._

I finally reached Earth and circled the planet, like I knew my father had all those years ago. Searching for the same thing. I landed in the construction site where it had all started. 

It was now a historical landmark, preserved just the way it had been, as some weird sort of memorial. Unfortunately, this meant there were security cameras and someone watching constantly. So, as I landed, a security guard opened communication and asked me to reveal who I was and why I was here.

I morphed human again, and opened the two-way visual communication and the guard's face showed up on the screen. I told him my name, and his eyes widened in recognition. His expression became one of awe and respect.

_Everyone's here,_

_Everyone's here._

_Everybody's watching you now._

_Everybody waits for you now._

I asked him if he would mind if I just had a few minutes alone in the construction site without any cameras. He was hesitant, but eventually my position as a celebrity won over, and he agreed. 

I thanked him and turned off the communication. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, preparing myself for what I was about to do.

_What happens next?_

_What happens next?_

_I dare you to move._

_I dare you to move._

_I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor._

I looked out through the ships small windows and tried to figure out where exactly I was in relation to the forest this area had once been. When I finally had an idea of where to aim for, I took control of the main shredder, and started to burn a hole in the ground. 

Eventually, I began to see the start of something becoming exposed. A large, shimmering white sphere. The Time Matrix. I turned off the shredder and stopped the engines. _Well, I thought, _this is it. _I opened the doors and stepped out into the cool evening air. _

Memories seemed to float around me, startlingly clear, as if they were tangible things. I felt as if I were right back on that day, when Elfangor had stepped out of his ship, just as I stepped out of mine, now. 

A shiver ran up my spine, and I hurried over to where the Time Matrix had been revealed.

_I dare you to move._

_I dare you move, like_

_Today never happened,_

_Today never happened before._

I knelt down, and thought carefully about the day I wanted to go back to, the day Rachel died. I wanted to be there when Jake sent her away. I wanted to be with her; to fight with her. I wanted that day back.

_Welcome to the fallout._

_Welcome to resistance._

But there were so many risks. I didn't really know how time travel worked, despite my previous experiences with it. 

What would happen if and when I met my younger self? And when I started to change the timeline, what would happen to me? Would I fade away? Cease to exist? If so, how soon? How much time did I really have?

_The tension is here. _

_The tension is here._

_Between who you are,_

_And who you could be._

_Between how it is,_

_And how it should be._

But suddenly, I was hit with a shock of inspiration, and a plan started to formulate in my mind. Maybe, just maybe, I could save _two _lives tonight. Three, counting Ax. Eight, if you counted everyone else on-board the _Rachel. _

Excitement grew in me as I reached over to touch the Time Matrix and thought hard about my destination.

_I dare you to move._

_I dare you to move._

_I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor._

I found myself kneeling on the hard floor of an Andalite fighter, with the Time Matrix in front of me, blocking my view. I stood up, and there he was. War-Prince Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul. 

He saw me first with his stalk eyes, and then he turned to face me, and stared with his main eyes. I could see the spark of recognition in his eyes, different somehow from the look of identification the guard had given me, yet very much the same. For a few minutes we just stared at each other, then he spoke.

What's your name, he asked, softly.

I smiled and answered, "Tobias."

Hello, Tobias.

"Hello, Elfangor. Dad."

_I dare you to move._

_I dare you to move, like_

_Today never happened,_

_Today never happened._

He nodded, and I was glad. Because now I knew that he had known who I was that night. I had known, before he died that he was passing on the morphing power to his son.

I stepped around the shimmering white sphere. "Look," I said, "we don't have much time, but I have a lot I need to tell you. There's something I need you to do."

He was severely injured, and in great pain, but he said, suspiciously, I'm sorry, but how do I know I can trust you?

I nodded. I was ready for that question. "If I was a Controller, and I had this," I nodded toward the Time Matrix, "why would I go to all this trouble, when I could just go back and keep your entire race from ever evolving?"

That seemed to satisfy him. How did you learn about the Yeerks?

I smiled sadly. "You told me."

He looked surprised, and then a look of realization crossed his face. When?

I looked out the window. "In about ten, fifteen minutes. But before that happens, I need to explain."

He nodded. What is it you want me to do? 

So I carefully explained my plan to him.

_And maybe redemption_

_Has stories to tell._

_And maybe forgiveness_

_Is right where you fell._

When I was done, Elfangor was silent for a moment. Then, Humans who can morph. My doing as well? I nodded. And why is it that you need me to do this?

"Because there are too many risks if I do it, and this way, well," I shrugged, "your life can be saved as well." He looked surprised, so I continued, "If you stay here and continue the way things went the first time, for me, then you've only maybe ten minutes to live."

He nodded slowly, understanding. So, how are you and your friends going to get your morphing power?

I took a deep breath. "I'm going to give it to them. With your permission, I'll morph you, and reenact exactly how it was when you told us."

He suddenly understood what I meant. No. I can't let you sacrifice yourself for me.

"It's the only way!" I protested. "Besides, when the timeline is changed, this me will cease to exist, anyway."

We were both silent for a moment. Then Elfangor said, quietly, "Why do you want the timeline changed?"

_Where can you run_

_To escape from yourself?_

_Where're you gonna go?_

_Where're you gonna go?_

_Salvation is here._

"Because my life basically sucks, okay?!" I was somewhere between screaming and crying. "I have nothing, and no one. I've never had a father, my mother doesn't remember me, she doesn't remember anything. And now I've lost my uncle, and best friend," I gestured wildly toward the three-dimensional picture of Elfangor and his family, "as well as Jake and Marco, and most importantly, I lost Rachel." 

I sank down onto the ground, my head in my hands. "She was all I had, really. She was everything, and now she's gone." Tears flowed freely down my face now, and I felt a hand on my shoulder.

I looked up, and saw a human man sitting beside me. He looked like a complete stranger, except for something in his eyes. "I'm sorry," he said. He put his arm around me and I buried my face in his shoulder. And I thought, _so this is what it's like to have a father_.

After a minute, I got up and said, "We'd better get ready. We're about to land." He stood and demorphed, fully healed of his wounds now.

We'd better hurry then, he said. Acquire me. I nodded and put my hand on his back, and concentrated. He went into the acquiring daze, and I took my hand away. I started to morph.

By the time he came out of the trance, blue fur covered my body, I had two stalk eyes in addition to my own eyes which were becoming more almond shaped, and my mouth was melting into my face. Elfangor went back to his human morph, and I finished morphing him. While he was morphing, he turned and carefully landed the ship in the construction site. 

He turned to me and smiled. "Well, I guess this is goodbye."

Yes, I said. Wait. There's one thing wrong. He waited. I – I'm not injured at all.

His face went white. "You can't ask me to-"

No, no. I'll do it. I braced myself, and Elfangor closed his eyes. I closed mine too, and made a quick stroke with my tail. Aaaarrrgh! I cried, as the blade sliced through my side.

A familiar voice came from outside. "It's safe," I heard my younger self say. "We won't hurt you."

"I'm going to stay nearby," said Elfangor. "I'll still be here if you need me."

Thanks, I said. 

Young Tobias spoke again. "Please, come out. We won't hurt you."

This time I responded, accurate to my clear memory of that night. I know.

Elfangor smiled at me. "Goodbye, my son."

Goodbye, dad.

Younger me got over the shock of hearing a voice inside his head. "Can you come out?"

_I dare you to move._

_I dare you to move._

_I dare you lift yourself up off the floor._

I took a deep breath, and responded, Yes. Do not be frightened.

"We won't be frightened." I almost laughed at the absurdity of that statement. Elfangor disappeared, his hand on the Time Matrix.

I opened the doorway, and stepped out, for the second time, into the evening air of that construction site. 

_I dare you to move._

_I dare you to move, like_

_Today never happened,_

_Today never happened,_

_Today never happened,_

_Today never happened before._

A/N ~ Wow. That was very exciting to write. It was going to go very differently, "But suddenly, I was hit with a shock of inspiration." I hope this satisfies all you Elfangor fans out there. More soon. Please review! The song is _Dare You to Move_ by Switchfoot.


	3. Day Is Done

A/N ~ Sorry this took so long. My brother hogs the computer. This chapter is in Elfangor's point of view. Another important note, if this isn't your first time reading this fic – I screwed up again. A small change in the last chapter, Tobias has to demorph to hawk before acquiring Elfangor. He doesn't explain anything, just says that it's a long story, and leaves it at that. 

Disclaimer: No, obviously I don't own the Animorphs, or any of the characters. *sigh* They belong to K.A. and Scholastic. Nor do I own the song Day Is Done, which belongs to Peter, Paul and Mary.

My brain was still trying to absorb everything that had happened in the last twenty minutes, as I said a final goodbye to my son - my son! – and placed my hand on the Time Matrix, traveling carefully through space, but not time. Not yet. 

I hid myself behind one of the half-built walls in the construction site, and watched as Tobias stumbled out of the ship, playing the part of me. He fell, and the one who had to be his younger self tried to hold him up, to no avail. I wondered how strange it must be for Tobias to be reliving this bizarre scene from such a different viewpoint. I watched as the young people offered to help him, and he refused.

_Tell me why you're crying, my son._

_I know you're frightened like everyone._

I am still here, Tobias, I said in thought-speak. I felt his relief and gratefulness, and he opened his thought-speak to me as well, as he explained the Yeerk threat to these young humans.

_Is it the thunder in the distance you fear?_

_Will it help if I stay very near?_

_I am here._

When he sent one of them into my ship for the morphing cube, he told me about them in private thought-speak. He told me their names and gave me some last-minute instructions. Seeing them again seemed to make him feel both sad and, somehow, fulfilled.

_And if you take my hand, my son,_

_All will be well when the day is done._

The boy Jake came back out and Tobias explained the morphing power to them, then waited for them to decide. The younger Tobias and the girl, Cassie were quick to agree, but the one called Marco had some misgivings.

_And if you take my hand, my son,_

_All will be well when the day is done._

While they were deciding, the red lights of a Yeerk ship appeared in the sky. I felt a shiver run up my spine.

There is no time, Tobias told them. You must decide!

_Day is done (when the day is done),_

_Day is done (when the day is done),_

_Day is done (when the day is done),_

_Day is done._

The humans made their choice and I quickly gave Tobias directions on how to use the morphing cube. He gave them the morphing power, and warned them about the two-hour time limit. I would have laughed at the irony of this, had it not been so sad.__

_Do you ask why I'm sighing, my son?_

_You shall inherit what mankind has done._

The Blade Ship and the Visser appeared in the sky with the Bug fighters. Terror ran through me. Tobias told the humans to run. The blond girl that Tobias had told me was Rachel said, "No, we'll stay with you. Maybe we can help."

I alone heard the cry that Tobias gave then. One of both joy and sorrow. He smiled for her. No, he said. You must save yourselves, and your planet. The Yeerks are here!

_In a world filled with sorrow and woe,_

_If you ask me why this is so,_

_I really don't know._

Finally they got the message and ran. Except for the young Tobias. I stood, frozen. Was he in danger? Could this ruin everything? Or had it happened this way the last time? When it was me? 

The boy knelt and took Tobias's hand. My hand? Tobias put his other hand on the forehead of his younger self, giving him some extra, last-minute information. Then the boy ran after his friends.

_And if you take my hand, my son,_

_All will be well when the day is done._

_And if you take my hand, my son,_

_All will be well when the day is done._

They hid behind a low wall, and the Yeerk ships landed – the Bug fighters. And the Blade ship. Visser Three's ship landed in the construction site, dark and sinister. I stiffened. The Abomination was really here. On Earth. 

_Day is done (when the day is done),_

_Day is done (when the day is done),_

_Day is done (when the day is done),_

_Day is done (when the day is done)._

Tobias continued to tell the now morph-capable humans about the Hork-Bajir and the Taxxons, as the creatures poured from the ship. One of the Hork-Bajir stood almost on top of the group of scared young humans, and Tobias warned them to be silent and then reassured them, giving them courage.

_Tell me why you're smiling, my son._

_Is there a secret you can tell everyone?_

The Hork-Bajir and Taxxons turned toward the ship, silent and still. And Visser Three came out. A cold shiver ran up my spine. My old enemy. The abomination that my foolishness had helped to create. And he thought that Tobias, my son, was me. They spoke to each other coldly. 

Face it, Andalite, the Visser said, you have fought well and bravely. But you have lost. 

My human jaw hardened. How could I just stand here and let this evil creature destroy the son I had only just met, but already cared deeply about? I began to demorph back to my Andalite form. I wasn't going to let Tobias sacrifice himself. I wasn't giving in. Not without a fight.

I felt tears come to my still-human eyes as Tobias stood, shakily, through his fear and pain. His bravery astonished me. And when, after the Visser threatened his (my) family, Tobias whipped his tail and struck his Visser Three's shoulder, my heart swelled with pride.

I had stopped demorphing as I watched the scene, and when I saw Visser Three start to morph as well, I quickly continued my morph. Fully Andalite, I watched the Visser finish becoming the alien monster he intended to kill Tobias with. 

My fear fed my adrenaline, and I started out of my hiding place. The Visser had lifted Tobias in the air. Through one of my stalk eyes, I saw one of the humans – Jake – jump up and start over the wall. I never cease to be amazed at the bravery of humans. He was trying to do the same thing I was! And all he had as a weapon was a piece of pipe.

No! Tobias cried. The boy hesitated, and his friends pulled him back down. I saw for an instant the face of the younger Tobias. That boy was the reason Tobias was doing this. He was the whole point. While this Tobias died, that one would live on. And it was my job to see that he was happier in the end than his older self had been. 

It was for these young humans that Tobias was sacrificing himself. His earlier words came back to me, "_when the timeline is changed, this me will cease to exist." I stepped back behind the wall and morphed back to human. I needed to be less conspicuous. And I needed to cry. _

_Do you know more than them that are wise?_

_Can you see what we all must disguise,_

_Through your loving eyes?___

I remembered how Tobias had given strength to the humans, and I decided to follow his example. I concentrated on sending Tobias some of my own strength and courage. 

_And if you take my hand, my son,_

_All will be well when the day is done._

_And if you take my hand, my son,_

_All will be well when the day is done._

Thank you, he said. I – I'm glad I got to really meet you.

Tears were streaming down my face. As am I. I responded. Tobias. My son. I – I love you.

Yeah, he said weakly. I - He gave a sudden cry of pain. Through my tears, I saw the Visser lifting him above his open mouth. He dropped him into his terrible jaws. 

I alone heard the one last cry of a dying warrior. I love you, Rachel!

_Day is done (when the day is done),_

_Day is done (when the day is done),_

_Day is done (when the day is done),_

_Day is done (when the day is done)._

I leaned against the wall and cried. I wanted to stand there forever, but I couldn't stay. The humans were being chased, and the Hork-Bajir were sure to look behind this wall. I placed my hand again on the Time Matrix, and visualized a place hidden in the woods. It was time to honor my son's dying wish.

A/N ~ Wow. That was hard to write. *Wipes tear from eye*  I _promise this is going to be a positive story. It __will have a happy ending. Really._


	4. This Is Where I Belong

A/N ~ Sorry, sorry, sorry this took so long. It took me way to long to come up with a song, and then I had school stuff… The next chapter should go much faster. I already have a song. 

Disclaimer: Animorphs does not belong to me, yadda, yadda, yadda… it all belongs to K.A.A. and Scholastic. The song "This Is Where I Belong" belongs to Bryan Adams and Hans Zimmer. It's from the movie _Spirit: Stallion of the __Cimarron… Yeah, I think that about covers it._

I stood in a small hidden clearing in the mountains. At least this was still how I remembered it. I quickly set about the task at hand. I had to rebury the Time Matrix using my tail and the shredder I'd taken from the ship. I busied myself with the work, trying not to think about the weight that rested on my shoulders.

When I was finished, I started to concentrate on the _kafit _bird morph inside me. But before the morph started, I felt a sharp pain on my back. I quickly reached back and grabbed the tiny flea that had bitten me. I held it carefully in my fingers and concentrated instead on letting the flea's DNA flow into me.

I was nervous about morphing the _kafit bird because it was obviously not an Earth bird, but I needed wings and it was the only bird morph I had. _

As I was preparing once more to morph, a familiar voice in my head. Hey, Ax-man. What are you doing?

_I hear the wind across the plain._

_A sound so strong that calls my name._

I swiveled one stalk-eye up to see a red-tailed hawk circling overhead. Hello, Tobias. I said.

There was a long pause. Then he landed on a tree branch in front of me. His fierce hawk eyes bored into me. Okay, he said, forcibly calm. You're not Ax. And you're not Visser Three. You can't possibly be who you look like. So, who are you?

I was surprised at his words. Did he really recognize me?

And who is it that I look like, Tobias?

How do you know my name? he asked sharply.

We have met before, I said simply, though this was not the Tobias I'd met only hours ago and yet many years ago at the same time.

There was a long pause, and then he said, You look like someone who died a long time ago. There was a deep sadness in his voice.

That was me, I responded. And it was not.

Uh-huh, he said, skeptically. 

I sighed. This was going to be harder than I thought. I am Elfangor-Sirinial-Shamtul, I said. When he didn't say anything, I continued. On my way down to Earth for the last time, a young man appeared inside my fighter. He had with him an extraordinary machine and weapon, I gestured toward the ground where I'd buried it. The Time Matrix. The young man told me a story and asked for help. He was desperate, and so I agreed, I paused. You and your friends watched me die, but it was not me. It was you.

Silence. Then, Excuse me?

It was you from the future. A future that will not be if I succeed. You – he morphed me and reenacted the scene in the construction site as he remembered it.

So, you're telling me that my future self came to you in the past with the Time Matrix and died instead of you? 

Yes, I said simply.

Well, you'll have to excuse me if I have a little trouble believing that. I mean, how do I know you're even Elfangor? Sure, you look like him, and sound like him and everything, but – I watched you die! He sounded a little frantic when he said the last part.

Tobias, I said carefully. Did you get the letter I left for you?

_It's wild like the river; it's warm like the sun._

_Yeah, it's here – this where I belong._

He was quiet for a moment. Yeah, he said softly. Yeah, I did.

When you – the other you came to me, he was quite distressed. Almost all of his friends had died. Some only very recently for him, but one had died a long time ago. Today. He wanted me to save her. And to save you from becoming him. He wanted you to have a better life than he did.

He stared at me with his fierce hawk eyes. After a moment, he said, Which one?

Softly, I answered, Rachel.

He said a word I won't repeat, and then, I'm probably making a really bad decision right now, but I guess I'm going to have to trust you. So, what do we have to do?

_Under the starry skies, where eagles have flown,_

_This place is paradise – it's the place I call home._

Five minutes later, we flew out over the trees away from the valley. We were two identical red-tailed hawks, since I'd decided the _kafit _bird was too conspicuous. We headed for the ocean. I needed something even less obvious.

_The moon on the mountains,_

_The whisper through the trees,_

We landed by the river, hidden in the trees. I demorphed, and Tobias flew overhead checking to make sure we were clear. When he came back, he had a seagull in his talons. It was flapping franticly, trying to get free. He flew down, and I took the gull from him, immediately concentrating, since Andalite hands aren't as strong as humans, and I was afraid I wouldn't be able to hold tightly enough. 

The seagull went into the aquiring trance, and I carefully set it on the ground. Ready? asked Tobias.

Ready, I replied, and began to morph.

_The waves on the water –_

_Let nothing come between this and me._

We flew back to the valley and I managed to find a spot where I could remain hidden in the trees, but still see most of the valley. It was truly a remarkable place, and I was amazed at how much the five young humans had accomplished. I watched the activity with great interest. I watched as Jake gathered his army. I was stunned to see the large group he had gathered of morph-capable humans and wondered how they'd managed to get an Escafil device. 

I knew Rachel had was already gone and I should be going after her, but there was one thing I had to see first. I saw Aximili, my brother standing with the other Animorphs and was relieved to see that he was still alive. Tobias had told me he was, but it was different seeing it for myself. My sharp hawk eyes scanned the valley. I looked closely at the cluster of humans that was the families of the Animorphs.

_ 'Cause everything I want is everything that's here._

_And when we're all together, there's nothing to fear._

Then I saw her. She was by herself, walking into the woods. Loren. Watching her made my heart hurt. I knew she didn't remember me, and I wondered how I would be able to live on Earth when she didn't know me. And I realized then that I'd been thinking of staying here. It was a problem I would have to figure out, but not now. I had other things to focus on. I opened my wings, and dropped out of the tree, flying away from the valley toward danger and one last battle.

I was leaving, but I knew somehow, as I flew away, that I'd be back. I wasn't done here yet.

_And wherever I wander, the one thing I've learned –_

_It's to here I will always, always return._

A/N ~ Alright! This chapter is finally over! All you Loren fans out there should like the next chapter. I really hope it doesn't end up being too corny. That's not what I meant to do when I started out, but this story has changed so much already. By the way, if you like this song, I have a short song fic using another song from _Spirit, called Sound the Bugle. Well, thanks for hanging in with me so far. Reviews are nice…_


	5. Once Upon a December

A/N~ Okay people! Here it is. Chapter Five. Have fun! This chapter is from LOREN'S POV!!!

Disclaimer: Yes, we all know I don't own the Animorphs. Nor do I own "Once Upon a December" by Lynn Ahrens and Steven Flaherty.

The Animorphs were getting ready for a huge battle. It could be the end of the war if they won. And if not…I shivered. I didn't want to think about that. About everything that could go wrong. I couldn't bear the thought that I could lose my son again. And I hadn't even gotten to know him very well. But I did care about him, and I hoped he knew that. 

Ever since I'd met him and had gotten involved in this war, I'd had this weird sort of pressure in my head, like there was something in me that was struggling to get out. Seeing the Hork-Bajir and the Andalite, Ax, caused it mostly. It had been very strong at first, but it seemed like it was dying down, now. I wasn't sure if that was good or bad. Could it be I was on the verge of remembering something?

_Dancing bears._

_Painted wings._

_Things I almost remember._

I decided I needed a little time to think without all the distractions. I told Tobias I was going for a short walk in the woods, and I headed away from the valley. A couple hours ago, I'd suddenly felt like I was just almost on the verge of a breakthrough. The pressure in my head was unbelievable intense. What could have caused it? Fragments of dreams ran through my head, just out of reach. 

It was extremely frustrating to be so close, and yet so far. Some part of me knew something, remembered a – a feeling. Something locked deep inside. There were flashes of blue racing through my head. Somehow, I knew that they were somehow responsible for the pressure.

_And a song someone sings_

_Once upon a December._

I walked through the forest until I came to a small stream. Words and images flashed through my brain. Waterfall. A picture of smiling people with cigarettes. Yosemite. And always the something else. The big something, hidden at the edges of my memory, intense and strong. I couldn't grasp it. In frustration, I picked up a small rock and threw it across the stream, into the woods on the other side.

That motion triggered a slew of memories. Softball. I had played softball? Yes. Yes, I had. And suddenly had a memory of throwing a rock just like that. And there was a stream… I'd thrown it _at _something. Someone? I nearly screamed in frustration. Yeerk. Andalite. Had those words meant something to me before meeting Tobias? Had I been part of this war previously? I seemed to think maybe I had. I was found I had vague memories of spaceships and aliens and… and a black hole? I was more confused than ever.

_Someone holds me safe and warm._

_Horses prance through a silver storm._

_Figures dancing gracefully_

_Across my memory…_

I felt so stuck – so held back. I remembered the feeling I'd experienced briefly, of floating above the world on a hawk's wings. I suddenly needed to feel that awesome freedom again. I began to morph. 

I lifted above the trees and glided over the forest. It was a beautiful day, and there was a nice warm breeze. It was a shame that such a day would be ruined by war. I suddenly caught a glimpse of something among the trees. Something blue. A chill ran through me. Could it be? Surely not. I circled and dropped downward into the trees a little way from where I'd seen it. I landed on a tree branch, and could see perfectly with my hawk eyes. I saw Tobias – I was sure it was him – on a tree branch just like me. When I landed, his gaze shifted, and he looked at me for a moment. Mom? he asked quietly, so only I could hear. 

I couldn't answer. I was staring at the Andalite in front of him. While I stared, a million memories flooded my head, and I was having trouble understanding. One thing I knew though. This was it. The huge piece of the puzzle that I'd been missing. The most important one. It was HIM. Elfangor. I stared and stared. Elfangor. Elfangor who I'd loved so dearly. Who had meant so much to me. Why hadn't I remembered him? 

_Someone holds me safe and warm._

_Horses prance through a silver storm._

_Figures dancing gracefully _

_Across my memory…_

I knew he'd seen me land too, but he assumed I was just another hawk. Tobias knew better. Mom, he said again. Is it…do you remember…what?

I turned my hawk's gaze on him briefly. I was too stunned to give a real answer, and my brain was awash with images and words and meanings. Elfangor, I said weakly. 

Alright, said Tobias strangely. Thank you. He had already turned back to Elfangor, who'd been talking to him. They were planning something, but I wasn't listening. I was too busy thinking about my new/old memories. We'd been together – Elfangor and I. We'd been married. I remembered that now. I remembered our adventure with the Time Matrix, and Alloran and Arbron, and Chapman. I remembered going to college with him, and everything. But the memories just stopped. There was a long gap. I didn't remember Tobias's childhood – what I'd been part of. I didn't remember the accident. There was just a blank. 

Why hadn't Elfangor been there? He should have been there after the accident. Why was I alone? What had I missed? The last thing I remembered was going to the doctor and finding out I was pregnant. At least I remembered that much about Tobias. I remembered how happy I'd been driving home to tell Elfangor. What then? I had to know. I was about to ask - to talk to him. But they were gone. They'd flown away while I'd been thinking. I'd missed my chance.

_Far away, long ago,_

_Glowing dim as an ember,_

_Things my heart_

_Used to know,_

_Things it yearns to remember…_

I opened my wings and lifted off the branch. I flew back to the stream where I'd morphed before, and demorphed. Then I walked back to the camp. They'd captured a prisoner and were using him to bribe Erek the Chee, who I'd heard about but never seen. I watched with some discontent, but I knew this was it. We had to win this battle. Then, my eyes fell on the prisoner. Again, I was stunned at what I saw. Was this possible? It was Chapman. The Chapman who'd been abducted with me. The sniveling little jerk who'd sold out the human race. And now he was a high-ranking Controller? I couldn't say I was terribly surprised. I wondered what had become of Visser Thirty-Two.

A little while later, as Jake gathered the auxiliary Animorphs, I saw Tobias return, and a seagull a ways behind him. Was that Elfangor? I felt a sharp pang in my heart. I hoped _he hadn't forgotten __me. I hoped something horrible hadn't happened between us that I wasn't remembering. I loved him. I knew I did. I couldn't watch the preparations for war when my heart was so full of love. I left, and walked back into the woods to sit by the stream._

_And a song_

_Someone sings_

_Once upon a December._

A/N~ Yay! I apologize if you think that was too corny, but really, I was pressured into it. And I wanted to…And really – it's amnesia! Is it supposed to be reasonable?! Well, anyway, I hope you liked that. I should probably warn you, the next chapter might take awhile. I really haven't thought about it too much. Suggestions are welcome. If you don't already know, the song is from the animated musical Anastasia. (I love that movie sooo much…) Yeah, well – please review!!!

Oh, I think I'm gonna try and respond to everybody's reviews. Starting from the first chapter to be fair. I'll try and keep it short, as I know these bore some people (of course you don't actually have to read them. You could just scroll down and hit that review button.) ;-) If you reviewed more than once, I'll respond more than once. 

**Shiver: Yes, I am.**

**Taka ichijouji: Thank you, but I am not into "blood stuff." You should know that by now.**

**stumbeline: You love the depressing part? Hmmm. Well, sorry. It's obviously not continuing that way. Yes, Elfangor's pretty cool. I hope you're glad of his greatly increased role in this story. It's because of reviews like yours that I had him come back.**

**JoJo: Thanks. Yes, obviously that's what happened. (I should have done this from the beginning.)**

**Nova Mist: Yes, Loren is awesome. I hope you liked this chapter. Your review was one of the ones that influenced me to have Elfangor come back and to write this chapter.**

**DH: Yes, sorry about the depressing-ness. It's getting better now.**

**Tobias: I know, I'm sorry. But as you can see, they didn't stay dead.**

**Megan Sleevewillow: Wow. Thank you. And you're welcome. I cried in the last book too. Thanks again!**

**Madelyn Leigh: Yeah! Exactly! lol Thanks!**

**Lisa Ann: Yes, I can. Mwahahaha. Just kidding. I hope you liked this chapter!**

**Neri: Yes, inspiration is wonderful. And it's all thanks to people like you! Thank you! I hope you still like it!**

**Lisa Ann: Yeah…**

**Taka ichijouji: Hee hee hee. Thanks. I wish I could control inspiration. *sigh***

**angelsnape: Yes, and it certainly is an interesting one. Thank you!**

**Cryptic: Thanks a lot! And I will.**

**TheAlmightyMasterT-Chan: J I love Switchfoot. Thanks for your review! Keep reading! Did I review your fic? I can't remember. I'll check and if I didn't, I will.**

**A.S. Amalon: Thank you! Please do. I love readers! Especially ones who review!**

**stumbeline: Thank you! If you keep reviewing, I will keep writing! Well, at least, until the story's over.**

**TobySeer: Hey, hey, hey. Calm down. Don't worry. I keep promising. It'll be alright in the end. Thanks a lot!**

**6875321357: THANK YOU!! I WILL. Umm…interesting screen name. Do you have trouble remembering that?**

**Liaranne: Yeah, I know. It's tough. I hope it's less risky for Elfangor to do the history-changing.**

**Captain Liz: Thank you sooo much! I really appreciate it. And it will.**

**Angel of Music6: Thank you! And you're welcome. Keep reading!**

**Airaloki: I'm glad you were satisfied. For Tobias's full plan, you must keep reading. I hope you're less confused now.**

**RubyMoon2: I love Into the Woods too! It is amazing how well it fits, isn't it?**

**TheAlmightyMasterT-Chan: Sorry. It is gratifying to evoke emotion from your readers.**

**Moon*Wolf2: Thanks. I couldn't really continue with the new timeline, because it was basically exactly the same as the original.**

**JoJo: Thanks a lot! Yeah, that was sweet, wasn't it? *sigh***

**Mel18: Thank you! Keep reading!**

**Bolt: THANK YOU! I have a general plan, yes, but I welcome any suggestions! I hope you liked this chapter. Reviewers like you who wanted more of Loren were what really influenced me to write this one.**

**D Pesada: Wow. That's quite flattering! Thank you so much!**

**Ash: Thanks! Glad to know I'm not the only one. I hoped that made sense, and it wasn't just me being idealistic. I love all these songs. Stay tuned, I may decide to use another from Into the Woods. Thanks again!**

**Petros: Thanks a lot! lol. My confidence level doesn't tend to be very high, but I do intend to keep writing, of course. Thanks!**

**tigerintheraiyn: Thank. You. Very. Much.**

**Danny Barefoot: Ummm…right. It most certainly is going to be happy. And, uh, _why_ exactly did you stop reading Animorphs? Not sure I understand.**

**darklover: Thank you! Yes, it was sad. Sorry about the long wait between chapters.**

**yamachan*is my*man: Thank you…*sniff*. I promise I'll keep my promise.**

**Alauer: Thanks! Yes, I think so too. I hope it hasn't gotten too unrealistic.**

**darklover: Thanks for sticking with the story! I hope this one wasn't too long a wait.**

**46873543687: Thanks! I will! Are you by any chance the same person as 6875321357? Just a guess.**

**hpdancer92: Thanks, it will. Keep reading!**

**Angel of Music6: Thanks again, I hope you liked it!**

**MimiChica: =) Thank you! I hope the wait wasn't too long!**

**TheAlmightyMasterT-Chan: Thanks again! Yes, no doubt he was. I hope you liked this one!**

**Petros: I'm honored. I keep saying this is gonna be happy. People just don't believe me.**

**Taka ichijouji: Yes. Mwahahaha. Don't you love cliffhangers? Actually it really wasn't that much of one… Well, I hope you enjoyed this one!**

**mickEmousina: OKAY! OKAY! OKAY! Thanks! You're about the fourth person who's told me they cried – not pitiful at all.**

**Cor-chan: Thanks, I hope you liked this?**


	6. Seize The Day

A/N ~ Sorry, sorry, sorry this took so long. I really thought it would be over sooner. The good news is, it's really long. I had no idea this chapter was going to be so long. Whew! Well, enjoy. We're back to Tobias' POV. J

Disclaimer: I own nothing. Really. Nothing. The song belongs to Alan Menken and Jack Feldman. There are large sections of dialogue that have been copied from the books, and they are not mine. They belong to K.A. who we worship. Please don't sue me.

This was it. This battle could be the end of the war. If all went as planned, we would stop the Yeerk invasion for good. It could also be the end of everything. If we lost – I didn't want to think about what would happen if we lost. Needless to say, the outcome of this battle was extremely important. There was more than a little tension involved. 

Especially when you stopped to consider that we were walking right into the enemy's trap. Toby and twelve of the other free Hork-Bajir were leading me to the Pool Ship. To Visser One. The others were already there. I tried not to worry too much about them, and what would happen if something went wrong. If the Yeerks didn't believe Toby's story. If they suspected…

I shook away the uncertainties, the "ifs." I had to concentrate on playing my part. I was a Taxxon surrounded by Hork-Bajir who were supposed to be turning me in to the Visser. I was anxious for this part to be over so I could get out of the Taxxon body. It's definitely among the worst morphs I've ever had to do. Not only are Taxxons just plain disgusting, but they basically have only one focus. Hunger. There was no escaping it. Ever. It was no wonder the rebel Taxxons wanted different bodies. Almost anything would be better than living with this hunger.

My heart started to beat faster. We were approaching the Pool Ship.

_Open the gates and seize the day._

_Don't be afraid and don't delay._

A variety of Human Controllers and Hork-Bajir Controllers stopped us and Toby stepped forward to explain. "We have a Taxxon prisoner," she told the guards. "It is urgent. The Visser will want to be told immediately." 

The guards looked nervously at each other. Disturbing Visser One was not a job any of them particularly wanted. The bearer of bad news wouldn't be looked upon kindly. One Human Controller turned back to us. "The Visser is in the middle of very important business. I'm sure if there is a problem with the Taxxon, it can be solved simply without bothering the Visser."

Toby narrowed her eyes menacingly. "This Taxxon may be treacherous. There is word of a Taxxon alliance with the Animorphs. What do you think the Visser will do if he finds out you decided not to tell him of this problem when you had the chance."

The guard paled. He turned quickly and pointed at a woman near the back of the group. "You. Go." She gulped, looking unsure. She was probably new to the job.

"Y-yes, sir," she said, gathering her dignity. She straightened and nodded to Toby. "Follow me." Our group shuffled past the guards and entered the Pool Ship. We were in. The first part of the plan was a success. That should have lifted my spirits. It didn't.

_Nothing can break us;_

_No one can make us_

_Give our rights away._

_Arise and seize the day._

The guard told us to wait while she explained to the Visser. I hoped the others had made it this far according to the plan. And Rachel… Rachel would be fine. Of course she would. She was Rachel. The Rachel who'd punched a hole in a dinosaur's stomach after being swallowed. And she had Elfangor to help her. I pushed away my doubt. The guard returned to take us into the room. Time to focus on the task at hand.

We moved across the room to Visser One and Tom stood and Cassie lay, bound and bleeding on the floor. My heart leapt. _It's not her,_ I reassured myself. Just a hologram. We waited while Tom explained to the Visser about the Taxxon rebellion. I confirmed the truth of it with some difficulty due to the unfortunate Taxxon mouth and tongue. Tom went on to suggest that he take control of the Blade ship and destroy the Taxxons. Everyone held their breath while Visser One contemplated about the proposal.

I don't like so much good luck, he said at last, suspiciously. I've fought to seize this planet for years. For years! And suddenly now everything falls into my hands? I don't trust good luck. For all I know, this Animorph, this Cassie creature, has managed to carry her fellow bandits in with her. It was the expected reaction.

"But, Visser, the Gleet BioFilter…" Tom said.

They've beaten the filter before, the Visser roared. No! No! There's something wrong here, something very wrong…. Look how she stands there, beaten, whipped, cowed. No, it's too easy. And this Taxxon, how can I be sure he, too, isn't one of them? They can take any shape. How can I be sure? My heart was pounding. I knew this was all part of the plan, but it was still nerve-racking to hear the Visser hit on the truth like that.

Tom answered as we'd expected he would. "Very simply. Order the Taxxon to eat the Animorph girl. If the Taxxon is an Animorph in morph, he will refuse. If not, then the girl – and any hidden morphs concealed on her person – will be consumed. Thus, we will be sure of both."

The Visser liked the plan. He ordered me to eat Cassie and prove that I was not an Animorph, which, of course, I was. I obeyed, letting some part of the Taxxon mind take over as I slammed myself onto the hologram and force field that Erek was creating. 

_Now is the time to seize the day._

_(Now is the time to seize the day)_

_Send out the call and join the fray._

_(Send out the call and join the fray.)_

I ignored "Cassie's" screams and continued pretending to devour her, piece by piece. When, to all appearances, there was nothing left of her, I rose, and faced the Visser. He and Tom bought the illusion completely. They believed they were rid of at least one Animorph.

You did good, Erek, Jake said. My insides squirmed to think of how we'd blackmailed the android into helping us. It was a dirty, rotten thing to do, but I knew it was a choice Jake had had to make and he probably felt a lot worse than I did about it. It was just one more addition to the long list of things he'd be blaming himself for when it was all over.

Visser One happily turned the Blade Ship over to Tom to stop the Taxxon rebels. He thought he'd destroyed the Animorphs and would have no trouble gaining control. But he was wrong. He had Rachel and Elfangor to deal with. My throat constricted. Two of the most important people in the world to me where going into extreme danger and I could do nothing for them. _Breathe, _I told myself. _Breathe._ It would work out. It would. I had to believe that everything would be right in the end.

_Wrongs will be righted,_

_If we're united._

_Let us seize the day._

Tobias, you okay? Jake asked.

I gathered my thoughts. I think I chipped a couple of Taxxon teeth munching on Erek's force fields, but yeah, I'm good. But I didn't feel good. I felt like I being sick. Marco, Cassie, and Ax, in fly morph, moved from Erek's body to mine as the Toby and her people led me away. Tom left the bridge in the other direction, toward the Blade Ship. 

Good luck, Dad, I called as we parted. 

The same to you, Tobias, he answered. Don't worry. I won't let these foul Yeerks kill her.

If I'd been human, I would have cried. Don't you get yourself killed either.

I'll try not to, for your sake, he promised, but don't feel bad if I don't survive this fight. After all, I was supposed to have died three years ago. His thought-speak voice faded. Even though I was surrounded by my friends, I felt more alone than I had in a long time. We filed out of the room and headed for the engineering room. 

_Friends of the friendless seize the day._

_(Friends of the friendless seize the day.)_

_Raise up the torch and light the way._

_(Raise up the torch and light the way.)_

Toby and the other Hork-Bajir separated from us and went in the other direction – to the control room. As soon as it was safe, we all demorphed. I was more than happy to be out of the Taxxon morph. With luck, it was the last time I'd ever have to use it. Once they were human, the others quickly morphed again. Battle morphs this time. We hurried down endless hallways praying that we wouldn't meet any opposition. 

It took far longer than we'd anticipated to get to the engineering room. When we finally found it, we stood for a moment at the door gathering our strength. The door will be locked, Ax commented.

Allow me, Marco answered, and we all stood back. He lifted his giant gorilla fist and slammed it into the edge of the door, making a good sized hole. We could hear shouts from within. Once more. Marco threw himself at the metal door, twisting it back, and basically annihilating it. Half a dozen Hork-Bajir were waiting on the other side.

"Tseeeeerr!" I swooped down on one, raking his face with my talons. 

"Arrggghh!" He cried, clutching his head. 

To bad Rachel's not here to join in the fun, Marco commented, as he swung his fist, punching a Hork-Bajir in the stomach. _If only,_ I thought. 

FWAPP! Ax's tail blade whizzed through the air as the battle raged. I threw myself into the fight, trying not to think about where Rachel was.

_Proud and defiant, _

_We'll slay the giant._

_Let us seize the day._

Bruised and bleeding, we finally had control of the room. We could only hope we weren't too late. Erek and Ax got right to work at the computer. Cassie and Marco demorphed, I morphed and demorphed again. Marco stayed behind to help Erek and Ax, while Cassie and I left the room to find a hiding place. There was a small door in the wall which led to a room that looked just big enough. 

We hurried back to the engineering room. Marco had morphed one of the Hork-Bajir, and Ax and Erek were desperately trying to get control of the ships weapons. Marco was talking to Jake using thought-speak. He asked Ax and Erek how long it would take. 

Approximately three of your minutes, Ax answered. 

Marco relayed this to Jake and then turned to Ax. "You know Ax," he started, "they really are your minutes, too. You've been here long enough; I think you can start using the same minutes now." Ax ignored this and continued with what he was doing.

A Hork-Bajir from the bridge was trying to contact us. Apparently they'd noticed that injuries had been inflicted on the Hork-Bajir stationed here. Marco informed him that everything was fine. It was just a disciplinary matter. He accepted that and left us alone.

"Haven't you got it yet?!" Marco cried tensely. 

Almost, Ax muttered. Almost… Then, Got it!

"Yes! Okay boys and girls, let's get out of here. Erek, you gonna be okay?" Erek nodded. "Alright, let's go." We hurried out of the room and down the hall to the room Cassie and I had found.

Distantly, we heard Jake's thought-speak voice. Marco! Cassie! We're on our way down there. Visser One and a whole bunch of his people. A few minutes later, we heard a lot of footsteps moving past us to the engineering room. Jake called out again, much closer, Hey, guys, they're going to fire blind. They'll saturate the room with Dracon beams on medium setting, kill everything. Are you ready?

Yep, Marco answered. We're good. He started demorphing. We heard Visser One ordering his troops to open the doors and fire. Ax opened the door to our room to let Jake in. He quickly demorped.

"Well, Jake," said Marco. "Imagine meeting you here." Jake told us that pretty much all of James's people had been killed, as well as a number of soldiers.

Cassie grabbed his arm, a concerned look in her eyes. "Jake, was Rachel down there with them?" _Here we go,_ I thought.

"No," Jake answered.

"Then where is she? Why isn't she with us? Why won't you tell me?"

Jake sighed. "She's with Tom," he said quietly, not looking at any of us.

There was a pause as the information sunk in. "Oh, Jake…" Cassie cried. I said nothing. What could I say? I'd already known. I was trying very hard not to hate Jake for sending her.

"I can't let him get away," Jake explained, as if that were an excuse. "Tom's Yeerk… A Blade ship, probably the morphing cube? You were right, Cassie, I can't let that happen."

"Had to be," Marco agreed, but he couldn't conceal the angry look on his face. He wasn't mad at Jake, just at the fact of what had been necessary.

Cassie looked like she was going to cry. _She'll be okay,_ I tried to reassure myself. _They'll be okay._ But I couldn't get rid of the gnawing feeling in the pit of stomach.

_Neighbor to neighbor,_

_Father to son._

_One for all, and all for one.___

Erek had disabled the weapons systems. They were only useful for one or two shots, but we couldn't access them. The Yeerks wouldn't be able to control the ship's flight easily, so most likely, they would take it into orbit.

"Our blackmail only goes so far," Marco said. "Erek's down to core programming, no discretion: He cannot enable a major weapon's system. Flat cannot. We'll be sitting ducks if Tom turns the Blade ship against us, and we all know that's his plan."

Jake blew up, suddenly. "It's not Tom! It's not Tom, don't call him that. It's the Yeerk in his head. It's the Yeerk, not my brother!" Nobody responded. The war was tearing all of us up, and Jake was no exception.

He calmed down. "One chance and one chance only. You said it, Ax: one or two quick shots, if we had access to weapons. One or two shots, maybe we could disable the Blade ship."

"We don't have access to weapons," Marco said, repeating what had already been determined.

Jake nodded. "Yeah. But Visser One does."

Marco frowned. "Use Visser One to disable the Blade ship?" He was probably about as confused as the rest of us were.

Jake didn't explain. He morphed tiger, and told Toby to keep everyone inside the engineering room. Cassie pointed out that with the morphing power, Visser One would be able to get out and attack Toby's people. Yeah. But he won't go after Toby's people, Jake answered. He'll come after us because he'll know we're after his precious bridge.

"He doesn't even know we're here," Cassie said.

Battle morphs, everyone. Let's inform Visser One of our presence.

We moved easily to the pool, with very little resistance. There it was. The pool. Surrounded by cages of temporarily free hosts. Marco! Jake cried. The cages! Marco happily hurried to free the humans and Hork-Bajir locked inside. Cassie and I attacked one the Taxxons that tried to stop us. The other would finish him off. 

We had to fight a few Hork-Bajir, but it was over quickly. Ax pointed out a booth with controls for the pool. We fought the eight Hork-Bajir guarding it. We might have lost, but the prisoners Marco had freed helped fight, turning the tide. 

Ax cut through the lock of the booth and Marco pulled open the door. Hi, there, He said to the Hork-Bajir inside. You want to live? Then lie down right now! He grabbed him and threw him out into the crowd. Jake and Ax hurried into the booth. Ax was telling Jake about the flush sequence. There are seventeen thousand, three hundred seventy-two Yeerks in this pool, I heard him say.

Suddenly, I remembered something Elfangor had told me earlier. About Jake blaming himself for everything, his guilt making him completely miserable. For all the deaths he'd caused. This was a huge part of it, I was sure. Should I stop him? I wasn't exactly feeling too happy with him right now. Then I realized that for Elfangor to have known and informed me meant that the other me, the future me had told him. Had probably wanted to stop it. 

Jake, I called. Don't do it.

He turned to look at me. What?

Don't do it, I repeated. You'll regret it, believe me. He stared at me. You'll hate yourself later if you do, I continued. Please, Jake, you've gotta trust me on this.

There was a long pause while the fate of seventeen thousand Yeerks hung in the balance. Jake looked at me, then he looked at Cassie. He nodded. Okay, he said to Ax. Leave them.

_Open the gates and seize the day._

_(Open the gates and seize the day.)_

_Don't be afraid and don't delay._

_(Don't be afraid and don't delay.)_

Visser One was waiting for us when we got to the bridge. We could see the Blade ship approaching on the view screen. I don't think they'll be much help to you, Visser, Jake said.

No, the Visser responded. It took me awhile to see what had happened. But I see it now. The Blade ship will attack, and I am helpless, unable to control this ship. Only a traitor could have beaten me. I was not beaten by you, human, or by your pet Andalite there. I was undone by my trusting nature. I was undone by my trusting nature.

Marco started to laugh, then stopped.

Only another Yeerk could have beaten me, and then only by the lowest treason. I was not beaten by you. Never by you. He was clinging to this one shred of dignity.

Visser, said Jake, you can still get off one or two shots at the Blade ship. Take out his engines.

Yes, responded the Visser, dryly, we will try that very thing. But you see, someone is bleeding power out of the Dracon beams. Power is being diverted. One of the traitors at work, I suppose. We will get off one or two shots, but at one-quarter strength. Will they be enough? Unlikely.

Of course. Erek. Erek who had to follow his programming and cause the littlest amount of deaths as possible. There was silence as Jake raged at Erek, privately. My one consolation, continued Visser One, is that when the traitor murders me with my own ship, it will at least finally be the end of you!

One of the human controllers fired their two shots at the Blade ship. They both missed. The Blade ship fired back, disabling the pool ships engines. "We are being hailed," announced one of the human controllers.

Of course, muttered Visser One. By all means. We must play it out. 

Tom's face filled the screen. I didn't pay attention to the exchange between him and the Visser. All I could think about was that Rachel and Elfangor were on the ship somewhere, in serious danger. Had they managed so far? The danger of the situation was increased tenfold by the fact that we hadn't been able to do a single bit of harm to the Blade Ship. 

Tom seemed rather cheerful in his triumph as he talked to Visser One. Until he shifted his gaze, and saw us. He paled. "You're not dead!"

I noticed the same thing, said the Visser dryly.

Tom started shouting orders to his crew. They were going to fire at us again. Everything inside me felt cold, and Jake gave the order.

Rachel… Go.

_Nothing can break us;_

_No one can make us_

_Give our rights away._

Rachel… I called.

I heard her thought-speak voice say, I know, Tobias. I know. And then she attacked.

A huge grizzly bear charged at Tom, as Dracon Beams were fired. Tom was yelling at his people to morph. Rachel swung her giant paw at Tom. She missed. She missed and out of nowhere, there was the flash of a blue Andalite tail blade, and Tom sank to the ground, unconscious. Yes! I said, mostly to myself. Elfangor had arrived.

What the heck was that? Marco wondered. No one answered him. Rachel was startled, but she quickly returned her attention to the fight. It made quite an impressive show – the Andalite and the grizzly bear fighting an odd assortment of animal morphs. My heart was pounding furiously. I landed on the floor and started to demorph. 

The view screen was a mess of teeth and claws and that beautiful Andalite tail. We all watched, barely breathing as each Yeerk was beaten. The leopard, and the lionesses. Elfangor was in the process of defeating the cape buffalo when Rachel turned and rammed her full weight into the polar bear. It staggered, and she sunk her claws into its chest. It hit back. It might have gone on for a long time – the two bears fighting each other – but the cape buffalo dropped to the floor, out of the fight. Elfangor rushed to Rachel's aid.

And then, miraculously, the fight was over. Rachel and Elfangor stood bruised and bloody surrounded by their fallen opponents. Rachel demorphed. Her face was white and she was sweating, but she grinned at the screen. "Hah HAH!" she crowed. "Take that, you filthy Yeerks!"

We were all breathing again, but shakily. I felt sick, and there were tears on my cheeks, but I couldn't tell if I was laughing or crying. Maybe both. The worst was over. Over, and they were alive. Alive!

_Neighbor to neighbor,_

_Father to son._

_One for all, and all for one._

A/N ~ Told you it was long. I apologize for my slightly less than satisfactory fight scenes, but that seems to be a weak point for me. Also, the thing is long enough anyway. Well, the song is "Seize the Day" from Newsies. I found it to be rather appropriate. All right folks, I don't know when Chapter 7 will be up. It could be awhile. Or maybe not. At any rate, this would be the time to review…

**darklover:** Thanks. Yeah, I'm definitely a Loren fan.

**MimiChica:** Thank you so much! I'm glad you didn't think it was too corny. Sorry about the long wait. And sorry, but you'll have to wait a little longer for the Elfangor/Loren fluff ;-) 

**blurdodoman: **Thanks, I will.

**Taka ichijouji: **Yeah, I love that song. Hope you liked this one – it's nice and long. J

**Oedipal Kat: **Thanks a lot! I like to think that I'm merely building on what hope KAA did leave us with, and expanding it, hopefully not in a completely unrealistic way.

**Bonnie 4: **THANKS!

**Rachel9466: **Thanks. :-D I know the feeling. This story… hmmm… I actually don't remember where the idea came from. It's been so long… Interesting screen name, by the way.

**Cor-chan: **Thank you so much! Yeah, I like the songfic thing. It's working for me.

**con2020tran: **Yes, at the end on ch. 3, Elfangor uses the Time Matrix and at the beginning of 4, he's in the time of the last book. I guess that could have been clearer. I hope this helps!

**JoJo: **Thanks, I think so too. Sorry this chapter took so long. Hope you enjoyed it!

**Rad: **Yes, I disturbed myself too. J Gosh, I guess it's been awhile hasn't it?__


	7. Here Comes The Sun

A/N Whew! I'm so sorry this took so long. It ended up being a much longer chapter than I'd thought it would be. And then school started, and… well, it's done now. I hope you enjoy it! And I'd just like to clarify, for anyone who didn't understand: at the end of chapter 3, Elfangor used the Time Matrix. It took him to a point in time at the end of the war. Somewhere in Book 53. So when he was talking to Tobias in 4, and when Loren saw him: that was all in this time. Does that make sense to everyone? Okay, apparently the thought-speak indicator things aren't working at all, so for now I'll be using parentheses ( ). I hope it's not too confusing. I'll try to change it back when I can.

Disclaimer: Yeah, we all know I don't own anything, sadly. I don't even own all of the dialogue. Most of it – but not all. "Here Comes the Sun" belongs to John, Paul, George, and Ringo (right?).

We stood staring at the screen, hardly able to believe it was over. That Rachel had survived. Then Toby appeared on the bridge, wounded and bleeding, snapping us back to reality. "Jake," she said, "they're surrendering. We had to promise them amnesty and a chance to acquire the morphing power." She glanced at me, curiously. I was watching as Rachel bent over Tom, checking his pulse and breathing, while Elfangor accessed the ship's controls.

Both Visser One and Ax were staring, fixated, at the screen. Of course they would recognize Elfangor, having spent more time with him than the rest of us. I wondered what they were thinking. Toby continued, "Jake, I need your okay. The Yeerks want you. They want your assurance."

_Here comes the sun, do do dodo,_

_Here comes the sun, an' I say,_

_It's alright._

Jake nodded his tiger head. (Okay, Toby. I'll be right there. Tell them Visser One is our captive, and we approve of your deal.) Toby gave a short nod and left. Jake turned to Visser One, but the visser was still staring at the screen.

It now showed Elfangor's face. (Hello again, Visser,) he said mockingly. (It's been a while, hasn't it?)

(You! How – how -) the visser sputtered, unable to speak a complete thought.

Elfangor just smiled in that strange Andalite way, and said, (It looks like you been stopped at last, Visser – One – is it now? And now it is up to these humans to decide your fate.) He nodded to Jake.

(Not possible,) muttered Cassie, mostly to herself.

Visser One turned to Jake. (I imagine it's time to kill me,) he said calmly. (You'll be doing me a favor. Whatever death you have for me will be nothing compared to what the Council of Thirteen would sentence me to. They really don't approve of vissers who lose Pool ships.)

(No,) said Jake. (No more killing. We don't kill prisoners. Marco?)

(Yeah, Jake.)

(The visser is going to remove himself from this Andalite body he has stolen and inhabited for so long. Find a safe place for him. Watch over him.)

(You got it.)

Elfangor nodded approvingly. (We'll be down soon,) he said, and shut off the communications.

Jake told Cassie to get Erek and tell him to hide himself. (Tell him -) Jake hesitated. (Tell him I'm sorry. I'm sorry, but it had to be done.) Cassie nodded and hurried off.

Jake must have given Ax some silent instructions, because he suddenly whipped his tail around, and knocked the visser out. Jake gave a few more instructions and left to take care of Toby's deal with the Yeerks.

Ten minutes later, Ax, Marco, and I had locked the Yeerk slug in a briefcase, and Ax had contacted the Andalite fleet.

_Little darlin',_

_It's been a long, cold, lonely winter._

_Little darlin',_

_It feels like years since it's been here._

The Andalites didn't believe us. They assumed it was a trap, but when Jake came back he delivered an impressive speech, trapping the Andalite captain into taking us seriously. Near the end of the speech, the Blade ship landed, and Elfangor and Rachel walked onto the bridge carrying an unconscious Tom just as the Andalite captain was saying, (Who _exactly _are you?)

Marco answered for him. "This is Jake. Jake Berenson. President of Earth." They agreed on a meeting place, and the communications were turned off.

Unable to restrain myself any longer, I turned and ran to Rachel. I caught her in my arms and kissed her. When we finally drew apart, she laughed happily, and hugged me tightly.

Ax and Elfangor touched tail blades in what must have been the Andalite version of a hug. It didn't seem very satisfying to me, and apparently not to Ax and Elfangor either, since they then threw their arms around each other in a very human way, and embraced. Then, Elfangor turned to me, his eyes smiling. (Tobias,) he said.

"Dad," I responded, with a smile. And he hugged me too.

_Here comes the sun, do do dodo,_

_Here comes the sun, an' I say,_

_It's alright._

"I hate to break up the tender moment here," Marco said, "but I think I'm not the only one who's a little confused." He looked around at Jake and Cassie. "See, we saw you die."

Jake nodded. "Forgive us for being suspicious, but Marco's right. We watched it happen."

(The memory is painfully vivid,) Alloran agreed quietly. Cassie grimaced.

(You have every reason to be suspicious,) said Elfangor. (I know you have no reason to believe me, but the truth is that what you saw was a morphed version of me – someone else playing the part.)

"If that's true than where have you been for the past three years?" Marco inquired. "If you're really Elfangor – I'm not saying I believe you, but if you are – well, we could have used some help."

Elfangor nodded. (It is important to be careful when dealing with time travel,) he responded. (It was imperative that I not change anything before this day. For me it has not been three years, but only a matter of hours.)

"You used the Time Matrix," Rachel said.

(Yes. The one who died in my place came to me through time, asking me to change the outcome of this day. He died not only for me, but for all of you.)

"And you let him," said Cassie quietly.

Elfangor turned to look at her. (I tried to stop him, but he insisted that a past version of himself would live – would have a better life if I succeeded.)

"Well, who was it?!" said Rachel impatiently.

Elfangor looked at Cassie. She nodded. "It was Tobias, wasn't it?" I looked down, but not before seeing the surprised look on Rachel's face, the look of realization on Jake's, and Marco's unsurprised nod.

(Yes,) said Elfangor, (though an older and different version of him.)

_Little darlin',_

_The smiles returning to the faces._

_Little darlin',_

_It seems like years since it's been here._

There was a moment of silence, and then Marco said, "You realize that story is completely insane? I mean, you expect us to believe that a future-reality Tobias came back in time and told you to come here to change the outcome of this battle, and then morphed you and died in your place while we watched?"

(Yes,) Elfangor responded calmly.

Marco shrugged. "Well, stranger things have happened."

Jake looked at Ax. "We're sure it's Elfangor?"

Ax nodded. (Yes, Prince Jake.)

"Don't call me Prince," Jake said automatically.

Rachel spoke up, "If he was a Yeerk, there's no way he would have helped me back there."

Jake nodded. "Alright, then. I guess we trust him." He looked at Elfangor. "We owe you that much."

_Here comes the sun, do do dodo,_

_Here comes the sun, an' I say,_

_It's alright._

We headed back up to the Hork-Bajir valley accompanied by Elfangor and Alloran. We had to go on foot, because we had to carry the still-unconscious Tom, and because we met Arbron on the way and he and Elfangor had an almost tearful reunion. They were both understandably surprised to see each other. Anyway, since Arbron couldn't morph, we had to walk all the way up the mountain.

No one talked much on the way. We just kept looking at each other and grinning until we finally just started laughing, giddy with relief that it was over and we were all alive. The Andalites just stared at us, not quite understanding what was so funny. Which, of course, only made us laugh harder.

When we got close, Jake asked me to fly overhead and guide us. Rachel said she'd go with me, and when we both had wings, we flapped up into the clear blue sky. We guided the others to the valley. When I was sure they were going in the right direction, I circled around the woods.

(How about one last flight?) I asked Rachel.

She was silent for a moment. Then she said, (Tobias, you -)

(Come on!) I called circling upward.

We flew, enjoying the thermals and the feeling of being alive. After a while we returned to the valley, where the others were just reaching the edge of the valley. We landed a little way ahead of them and Rachel demorphed, while I morphed to human for the last time.

When we were done, she looked at me, concerned. "Tobias, you don't have to -"

"Yes, I do," I answered. "I don't have an excuse any more, Rachel. The war's over."

"Tobias, you love flying. I can't ask you to give that up."

"You don't have to," I said quietly. "I do love flying, but –" I smiled, "I love you more." I stepped toward her. "I almost lost you today, Rachel, and it scared me so much, I –" I stopped. "If my wings are what I have to give up to be with you, then that's a sacrifice I'm willing to make." I took her in my arms and she smiled at me.

"I love you, Tobias," she said softly, and kissed me gently.

_Sun, sun, sun, here it comes._

_Sun, sun, sun, here it comes._

_Sun, sun, sun, here it comes._

_Sun, sun, sun, here it comes._

_Sun, sun, sun, here it comes._

The others joined us and we continued on into the valley. Our parents were waiting anxiously for us to return. When they saw us, they all rushed up to hug us, crying tears of relief. They let us go and turned their attention to our visitors. There was an awkward moment as Eva and Alloran stared at each other. Then Eva laughed and said, "Congratulations on your freedom, War-Prince Alloran."

Alloran bowed his head briefly and responded, (The same to you, human.)

I heard the exchange, but my attention was focused mainly on my parents. Elfangor looked pained and tried not to look at my mom, but she had noticed him and was looking only at him. Finally, he couldn't help but notice her staring, and he turned his head to look at her with his main eyes. She smiled, brokenly. "Elfangor," she said softly.

He stared at her. (Loren. You – you remember me?)

She nodded, tears starting to fill her eyes. "I didn't – but –" she stopped. "A few hours ago, my memories started coming back. Not all of them, and I don't understand what happened or why they stop, but I do remember." As she spoke, Elfangor morphed back to his human form, and when she was done, he walked quickly to her and drew her into his arms, kissing her. Everyone looked down, a bit embarrassed, and Rachel squeezed my hand and smiled at me. I smiled back, my heart swelling. I had two parents now. It didn't seem so long ago that I'd had none.

_Little darlin',_

_I feel the ice is slowly meltin'_

_Little darlin,_

_It seems like years since it's been clear._

(So,) said Arbron, (out of the five passengers on the _Jahar_, it looks as though four of us are now together again.)

"Actually," responded Loren, "I think that would be five." She gestured toward where Chapman was being kept captive. We – the Animorphs – all looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

"Oh, I can't wait to hear _this_ story," Marco said.

Tom, who'd been laid on the ground at our feet, emitted a low groan, as he started to come to. Everyone laughed.

"I can tell it's going to be a long night of storytelling," Jake said with a smile.

_Here comes the sun, do do dodo,_

_Here comes the sun, an' I say,_

_It's alright._

_Here comes the sun, do do dodo,_

_Here comes the sun._

_It's alright._

_It's alright._

A/N Well, that's chapter seven! I hope it didn't stray too badly from the style of the books. There's only going to be one more chapter, so get ready for the end, boys and girls. The song was, obviously, "Here Comes the Sun" by the Beatles. Yay! That's it until next time!

**darklover: **Yes, I skipped to the end. As I said, at the end of chapter 3, Elfangor used the Time Matrix to go to the end. So from chapter 4 on, it's been in that time. Get it?

**Faith-sama: **Thanks! J I'm glad you liked it. I agree: people just don't appreciate the happy ending enough. I'm glad I could help, and I hope you liked the semi-fluffiness in this chapter. I don't want to go too overboard and make it more fluffy than KAA would. Well, I probably already did, but…

**Rad: **Thank _you._ Sorry about the long wait!

**Anonymous-cat: **Thanks a lot! It's always nice to know you're appreciated.

**JoJo: **Thanks. I hope you enjoyed this chapter too!

**Southern Belle: **Thank you! I hope you liked the R/T in this chapter. I certainly enjoyed writing it. There may be a little bit more, but I don't want to overdo it.

**Taka ichijouji: **Thanks! I hope you like this one! It took too long I know, but what with school and all…

**PhebgaMFM: **Thanks. Yeah, I thought the _hirac delest_ thing was an interesting idea. Hey, you only read one chapter! Keep going! (Well, I guess you did if you're reading this…)

**PadFootCc: **Thank you! It was one of my more brilliant ideas…;-)

**East Coast Ryder: **Thanks for your opinion, and for being honest. I guess you're probably not reading this, but I'll respond anyway. It's interesting that you thought the first two were more interesting. Actually, I kind of like them better than 4 and 5 at least. The sad chapters are easier to write, and I think I work best with Tobias rather than Elfangor.

**Silverchild of the winds: **Well, I certainly hope that these changes are for the better. J

**MimiChica: **J It was a great song. And so fitting. Thanks a lot!

**lilyofthevalley: **Thank you! I hope you liked this update! Stay tuned!

**AvengingStar: **Here you are! I hope this was enough for you! One more chapter to go!

**goddess of darkness3: **Thanks so much! I hope you liked this one! Sorry about the wait.


	8. All I Know

A/N Well, folks, here it is. The last chapter. It's been a long time coming, I know. I apologize for the long wait – this was harder than I'd anticipated. And so, without much further ado, we begin… NEW NOTE: Nothing huge, but I've added a couple of lines in the middle there, as a response to all those of you who asked about Elfangor and Loren.

Disclaimer: I do not, have never, and will never own Animorphs nor any of its characters. They belong to Ms Applegate, to whom we owe our thanks. The song belongs to Art Garfunkel.

Two years later…

I walked briskly down the plaza walkway, past various stores and cafés. There was a slight chill in the wind, and I was glad of it because it took my mind off the way my stomach was leaping around inside me. I concentrated on the wind and the way my feet hit the concrete with each nervous step. Ridiculous that I should be feeling so jumpy and nervous. That after all the battles and crazy, dangerous missions we'd been through, something so normal could do this to me.

I tried to pretend it was just a casual meeting like any other. That's how the others would be seeing it. I was the only one who knew differently. I tried to go over again in my head what I was going to do, what I would say, but I knew it was fairly pointless. I had no idea how it was going to happen. Better not to think about it now.

I came all too quickly to the door of the café where we were meeting. I took a deep breath, and opened the door. As I walked in, the blast of air conditioning hit me. It was like walking into a wall of cold. Not exactly soothing to my nerves. I shivered, and glanced around the room. There she was – Rachel, as beautiful as always, waiting at a table. We were the first ones here. She saw me and waved, smiling. I smiled shakily and waved back. I walked toward her. _Should I do it now? _I wondered. _Or should wait and hope a chance opens up later?_ We might not be alone again, and if I put it off, I might never do it.

I reached the table and sat down next to her, leaning over to greet her with a kiss.

_I bruise you, you bruise me._

_We both bruise too easily,_

_Too easily to let it show._

_I love you, and that's all I know._

"Hello Tobias," she said with a smile that simultaneously threw my nerves all over the place and gave me courage.

"Hi Rachel," I responded. I hesitated, chewing my lip nervously.

She tilted her head, concerned and curious. "Is something wrong?"

"No," I shook my head. "No, nothing. I just – I –" I took a deep breath and looked her straight in the eye. "I wanted to ask you something."

"Okay."

I reached into my pocket and pulled out the little box. Rachel's eyes widened when she saw it. I flipped it open. "Tobias," she breathed. "Is that –?" I nodded.

"Will you marry me, Rachel?" I asked, all my nervousness strangely gone now. When I saw the delighted look on Rachel's face, my heart soared.

She threw her arms around me and I hugged her back. She drew back and looked me in the eye. "Of course I will, Tobias," she said with a laugh, and I smiled. Then we didn't talk for a while, as our lips were otherwise occupied.

_All my plans have fallen through._

_All my plans depend on you,_

_Depend on you to help them grow._

_I love you, and that's all I know._

When we broke apart, I took the diamond ring from its box and slipped it onto Rachel's finger.

Click!

There was a quick flash of light as one of the café's other customers decided to capture the Kodak moment. Probably thought they could make a lot of money selling it to the tabloids. Unfortunately for them, they hadn't been quite discreet enough.

"Hey! Creep!" Rachel stood and rounded on the guy. He was young, probably a few years younger than we were. "You ever hear of a thing called privacy?" She towered over him, menacingly. "I think you'd better give me that camera." The aspiring photographer turned to make a run for the door. And ran smack into the short, dark-haired guy who was blocking the exit, his arms crossed over his chest.

"Rachel really isn't someone you want to have mad at you," Marco advised the camera guy. "I suggest you give up the camera."

I had to admit the guy had guts. He was surrounded by three powerful celebrities, but he wasn't backing down so easily. "What will you give me for it?" he asked.

Marco raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you want?"

Five minutes later, the guy left with three autographs on a napkin, and we had a new camera.

_When the singer's gone, let the song go on._

We settled back down at our table, trying to ignore the stares we were getting from the café's other patrons.

Marco shook his head sorrowfully. "So Rachel, I guess this means there's no hope left for you and me."

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Maybe someday Marco, you'll find someone short enough for you who will actually be able to stand you."

Marco grinned. "Maybe," he responded, and then he looked at me. "Good luck," he said, patting my arm. I laughed and took Rachel's hand in mine.

A waitress approached our table, looking star-struck but trying marginally successfully to cover it. She gave a big, somewhat shaky smile, and asked, "What can I do for you today?"

Marco smiled lewdly and opened his mouth to speak.

"Marco." Rachel gave him a warning look.

Marco made a face. "Hey, I was just going to ask for a cappuccino."

Rachel rolled her eyes and turned to the waitress. "I'll have a frappaccino." The waitress nodded and turned to me.

"Could I have a hazelnut coffee, please?"

The waitress nodded again. "Will that be all?"

At that moment, the door opened and another small group bustled in. Everyone turned his or her attention to the man and his pregnant wife who were followed by a strangely pretty man who just didn't seem quite able to fit in. Something about him made him look just a little bit uncomfortable with his surroundings.

"No, we're not done just yet," Marco said with a laugh.

Jake, Cassie, and Ax joined us at the table. "Do you need a minute?" The waitress asked.

"Umm…" Cassie scanned the menu.

"I'm just going to have a black coffee," Jake responded.

"I guess I'll have… a ch– no… yes. A chai tea, please."

Ax stared blankly at the menu. "He'll have a mocha latte," said Marco.

"Okay." The waitress smiled and walked to the back of the café, and we all stared at Marco.

"Marco, are you crazy?" Rachel asked. "You're going to have Ax drink coffee and chocolate at the same time?"

Ax's eyes widened. "Cawwww-feee. Fee fee fee."

Marco winced. "Oops."

"Nice going," said Jake. "So. What did we miss?"

_But the ending always comes at last._

_Endings always come too fast._

_They come too fast, but they pass too slow._

_I love you, and that's all I know._

Marco grinned. "Well, we got a new camera." He held it up. "Digital, too."

Jake raised an eyebrow. "Should I ask?"

"You don't need to. Just take a look at the last picture."

"Hey! Give me that!" Rachel reached for the camera.

"Oh, what? You're gonna keep secrets from them now?"

Rachel frowned and sat back. "No, but the whole point of getting the camera was to have a little privacy."

I could feel my face getting red, and I tried to stop it mentally. Unfortunately, this strategy rarely works.

"Is that a diamond ring on your finger?" Cassie asked.

_When the singer's gone, let the song go on._

_It's a fine line between the darkness and the dawn._

_They say, in the darkest night, there's a light beyond._

Marco laughed. "There's no fooling you, Cassie."

Jake looked up from studying the camera. "Wow. I guess we missed a lot." He smiled at me. "Congratulations."

I smiled back. "Thanks." Rachel was holding out her hand for Cassie to see.

"I don't understand," Ax said. "What is the significance of this ring? Ing."

"It means they're getting married, Ax," Cassie explained. She smiled at us. "I'm so happy for you guys."

"Hang on," said Jake. "How does this explain about the camera?"

Marco laughed. "Let's just say that it once belonged to a man searching for his fifteen minutes of fame."

"Ah. And do I want to know how you came to be in possession of it?"

"Don't worry. I stepped in just in time and managed to reason with him."

"Uh-huh."

Rachel snorted. "Yeah. You and your wallet."

"Hey, I didn't give him any money, did I?"

"No, but you were going to."

"So what did you give him?" Jake asked.

"He left three celebrity signatures richer," I explained.

"I see. So you sold out to some guy with a digital camera?"

"Oh shut up. You know he was gonna go to the tabloids," Marco retorted.

Jake laughed. "I know."

"Just be glad you guys weren't here or he probably would have asked for a complete set."

Cassie turned to me. "How are your parents doing, Tobias?" Elfangor and Loren had gotten remarried soon after the war ended.

"They're fine—still ridiculously happy."

"Excuse me." A young girl was standing about a foot away, fiddling with her necklace and kind of bouncing on one leg, as though she wanted to move closer, but was afraid to. We stared at her.

"Yes?" Cassie prompted.

"Um, I – I was just wondering –" she turned and glanced back at two other girls who were sitting a few tables away, watching anxiously. They nodded encouragingly at her. "We – we've read your books and heard all your stories, and we were just wondering – what happened to the Time Matrix? Do you know where it is?"

Marco laughed. "Even if we knew, do you really think we'd go around telling every kid who asked?"

"What is your problem, Marco?" Rachel asked. "Do you have some kind of disease that blocks you from developing social skills?"

The girl's face was beet-red. "I – I was just wondering, th-that's all. We – we're huge fans, see."

Cassie smiled at her. "What's your name?"

"Jennifer."

"Well Jennifer, the truth is that we really don't know where the Time Matrix is. It's hidden somewhere, but nobody alive today knows where. And we'd like to keep it that way. It's a very dangerous weapon."

Jennifer nodded. "I understand. It was really just exciting to finally see you in person." Her face was starting to redden again. "It was nice to meet you."

"It was nice to meet you too, Jennifer."

The girl smiled and hurried back to her friends.

"Popular today, aren't we?" said Jake with a smile.

"Next there'll be a news crew in here to document Coffee with the Animorphs," Marco added.

Cassie shook her head, bemused. "Did you ever think our lives would be like this?"

"Fame and fortune?" responded Marco. "Always." Everyone laughed.

Cassie continued. "I mean, there were so many times when everything could have gone horribly wrong. When we could have failed, or one of us could have been killed."

"Some of us _were _killed once or twice," said Jake with a laugh.

"Indeed, we have been quite fortunate." Ax spoke up for the first time.

I looked around at my circle of friends. It was true – we had been fortunate, and, I couldn't help but think, none more so than me. I had gone from a life of loneliness and sorrow to a life as a part of a group. Cassie was right. We had survived through more trials than it had ever seemed possible. We had nearly been killed many times, but we were still here. Truly, it seemed, hope would always remain, whatever happened. And for the time being, a deep contentment spread through me. I was home.

_But the ending always comes at last._

_Endings always come too fast._

_They come too fast, but they pass too slow._

_I love you, and that's all I know._

_That's all I know._

_That's all I know._

A/N And so we come to the end. Or should I say, the beginning? J I have to say that the process of writing this has been almost therapeutic for me. I know many of us were upset and terribly saddened by the ending of the series. One of the things that disturbed me the most was the fact that hope, which had been a theme up to the point, seemed to have disappeared at the end. Over the past few months, I realized something. Maybe (and this is just one wild idea) we were meant to use the lessons of hope we'd learned through reading the series in order to understand the ending. There are a few things that give me this idea (and if you don't feel like putting up with my strange ideas, feel free to skip to the bottom of the page). First, if any of the Animorphs embodied hope more than the others, it was Cassie. And Cassie, out of all the others, survived. And then there's the title of the last book: The Beginning. These words are used at the end of T.H. White's The Once and Future King, at the end of which King Arthur dies, just like Jake and the others. However, it's not a depressing death – there's the suggestion that he will return in some way, that it's not really over (the once and _future_ king). The point is, hope remains, no matter how bad things seem. We just have to take the time to find it. Well, that's the end of my little sermon. The song is "All I Know" by Art Garfunkel, for anyone who wants to know. So this is it. It's been fun. With one last huge THANK YOU to all of my reviewers, I'll say goodbye for now.

**Taka ichijouji:** Thanks. I certainly did take my time, didn't I? Thanks for understanding. Love ya!

**Gryphon124: **Tell me about it. I think I cried for a week after the last book came out. But – there _is _hope! Hope you liked this last chapter.

**JoJo: **Thanks for sticking with it! Sorry about the wait – I know this one was particularly long in coming. Hope you liked it anyway!

**Tobias1452: **Well…so much for the soon part. Sorry 'bout that. But I finally did it!

**Anonymous-cat: **Thanks – hope you enjoyed this one too. Sorry it took so long!

**Dragon: **Whew! Well, I have to say, your review really made my day. It's nice to know I can create emotions in people. Thanks. Hope you liked this one, and please don't kill yourself. J

**Aldrea: **Well, I didn't update soon, did I? Do I still get part of the pizza for the happy ending? J

**TheAlmightyMasterT-Chan: **Glad you've enjoyed the story. I love that I can make people cry. I just feel so…powerful. Hmm. That sounds a little sadistic, doesn't it?

**Jamieson Z: **Thanks! I probably will start another fic, eventually. It may not be for a while though, and it'll be a bit different from this one.

**LilManiac: **Thanks. Hope you liked the last chapter!

**D.H. L'Orange: **Thank you! K.A. had such a huge influence on me that it was really fairly natural to stick to her style. Thanks for reading!

**Concrete Angel: **J I love this. All I need to do for a quick ego boost is come on this site and read over my reviews. Thanks a lot!

**neech: **Okay. You – are awesome. Thank you. I do actually plan to be a writer one day. I want to write young adult novels. Always good to have a confidence boost! Thanks.

**Starcast Dreamer: **Glad I could help! Writing this has actually helped _me _to cope with Book 54. Good to know it has the same effect for others.

**Faith-sama: **Laughs I know what you mean about "Odd things." And thank you. I _do _feel special. J

**Cor-chan: **Thanks! Hope you enjoyed the last bit here!

**Dani: **Thanks. About contacting K.A.A…. well, it _is _an appealing idea. I do think, as I said before, that there was something of a purpose to they way she ended the series. I have actually been planning for a while to attempt writing to her through Scholastic, if just to thank her and tell her how much the series mattered to me. Maybe someday I'll get around to it. You know, those ideas of yours aren't bad. Hmm… Well, thanks again!

**Rad: **I hope you enjoyed the last chapter! Thanks for reading!

**Raven: **You're welcome! It's nice to be able to make people happy. J

**SD: **Oh, a kitty? I'm jealous. J Thanks for the review!

**darklover: **Well, here it is. The last chapter. Hope you liked it! And thanks for reading!

**Silverchild of the Winds: **Thank you! I hope you liked this one too!

**KimberFlames: **Thanks a lot! I love Tobias/Rachel. J

**Cyberspace: **Thanks, and I agree completely. Well to try and answer your question, the older version of Tobias…well, he pretty much has ceased to exist in this timeline because of the changes made. I guess you could look at the two timelines as being parallel…in that case, I guess Cassie would be the only living Animorph in the original timeline. Hm. Interesting. Well, thanks again, and sorry for the wait!

**RT FAN14: **Glad you liked it. Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Thanks for reading!


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